Pooh's Bad Dream
by iamthegang
Summary: Winnie the Pooh gets a nasty nightmare.


Winnie the Pooh stood back and admired his work. "Ten new pots of honey," he said, sighing heavily.

"Very nice," said Tigger. "Just make sure that horrible heffalump doesn't eat them tonight."

"The horrible heffalump?" Pooh said.

"He's a greedy gobbler!" said Tigger.

"You've seen him?" asked Pooh.

"No," said Tigger, "but it's even worse when you don't see him. You can't be too careful when a heffalump's sneaking around."

"I'll be careful," said Pooh.

"Worraworow," growled Tigger bravely. "T-T-F-N-Ta-Ta-For-Now!"

Pooh locked his door. His house seemed big and empty.

Pooh climbed into bed and pulled the quilt over his nose. And he stayed that way for a long time.

"Horrible heffalump," he said to himself. "Must keep watch…" He watched and he watched and he watched, until he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

Then suddenly, his house shook like thunder. A big red heffalump crashed through the door. He broke dishes and toppled the lamps. He stomped over to Pooh's cupboard and guzzled three pots of honey.

"Oh!" cried Pooh.

The heffalump turned and looked at Pooh with his horrible green eyes. He snuffled him with his long blue snout.

"Ho-ho!" he said. "Now I'm going to eat you!"

The heffalump scrunched a honeypot down over Pooh's head.

"Mmppfh!" cried Pooh.

He jumped out of bed. He reached up to pull the pot off his head, but…the pot was gone. The heffalump was gone, too.

"Where is he hiding?" Pooh said. He was afraid to look.

Pooh ran to Piglet's house as fast as he could.

"Help, help! A ho-horrible heffalump is ha-hiding in my huh-house," said Pooh.

"A huh? A heff? A who?" stammered Piglet, rubbing his eyes.

"A heffalump. Hurry!" cried Pooh.

Piglet had no time to think. If he had time to think, he certainly would not be rushing to Pooh's house in the night to help him find a horrible heffalump.

"Come out, heffalump!" Pooh cried, opening the door. Piglet grabbed Pooh's broom and held it over his head.

"Pooh?" asked Piglet, who finally had time to think. "What will we do with the heffalump when we find him?"

Pooh thought and thought and thought.

"Maybe we should go get Christopher Robin," said Piglet.

"Good thinking," said Pooh.

Christopher Robin was in bed when they arrived.

"Poor Pooh," he said. "You must have had a bad dream. Heffalumps aren't real."

"He _was_ real," said Pooh. "I felt him snuffle me with his blue snout. He said he was going to eat me!"

"If there is a heffalump in your house, the Piglet and I will help you find him," said Christopher Robin stoutly.

"We will? I mean, yes, we will," said Piglet.

Together they mounted an expedition to find the horrible heffalump and chase him from Pooh's house forever. They looked under Pooh's bed. They searched behind his mirror. They lifted the tablecloth and peered under the table.

They opened his cupboard. All ten pots stood side by side, just as Pooh had left them.

Pooh scratched behind his ear. "It must have been a dream. But why did it seem so real?" he asked.

"Dreams can seem real," said Christopher Robin. "But they happen only in your mind."

"Oh," said Pooh. "But if I was asleep, how could my mind be making up a heffalump?"

"Every night, when your body sleeps, your brain stays awake part of the time," said Christopher Robin.

"That's when you are dreaming!" cried Piglet.

"Right!" said Christopher Robin. "Usually dreams are nice – and you forget them as soon as you wake up. But if you're especially tired or worried about something, then sometimes a dream turns into a bad dream, or a nightmare."

"I was a littled worried," said Pooh, thinking of what Tigger had said earlier. "And I'm so sleepy. But…"

Piglet tucked Pooh into bed.

"…what if my brain brings the heffalump back?" asked Pooh.

"It's your dream," said Christopher Robin, "And you're in charge. If the heffalump comes back, just look him in the eye and say: Heffalump – go away!"

"Heffalump, go away…Heff…go…" Pooh said repeatedly until he was fast asleep.

Piglet and Christopher Robin tiptoed out.

Then, suddenly, Pooh's house shook like thunder. A big red heffalump stomped right up to Pooh's bed!

"Ho-oh!" he boomed.

"Heffalump, ga-wah…H-Hurrfa…lump, hah!" cried Pooh.

The heffalump was confused. "What?" he asked.

"Go away," said Pooh huskily.

The heffalump stopped. His lip began to tremble. Tears came to his eyes.

"What's wrong?" asked Pooh.

"I just wanted a little snack, that's all, said the heffalump, "and now – _sniff – _you're sending me away?"

Pooh began to feel sorry that he had been so rough with the heffalump.

"I'm feeling a bit rumbly in my tumbly, too," he said. "Would you like to share a pot of honey?"

The big heffalump looked rather silly sitting in Pooh's little chair. But he didn't seem to mind.

This time, Pooh and the heffalump dreamed a sweet dream together.


End file.
